


Past Mistakes

by Onlymissbarnes



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Abuse mentioned, Good Theo Raeken, Hurt Liam Dunbar, Liam’s biological father, M/M, Protective Theo Raeken, Sad Liam, Thiam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 03:59:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12548336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlymissbarnes/pseuds/Onlymissbarnes
Summary: Where Liam has a nightmare and Theo is there to make sure he feels safe.





	Past Mistakes

Liam hates sleeping. 

It’s when he’s all alone and the monsters come out to haunt him. Every fear he’s forced down comes back up to the surface in those fateful hours. 

That’s why he loves sleepovers. It gives him an excuse to stay awake all night, either to play video games or convince himself that the owl outside is a new threat he’ll need to protect the other sleeping person from. He’s slept over at Mason’s so many times it’s common for him to ask the young beta which house he’s staying at. Sometimes, the presence of his best friend there was so comforting that he actually got some sleep. It was bliss.

That’s why he was dreading this. 

A week alone with Theo, sent on a mission to check the outline of Beacon Hills to make sure Monroe or any other hunters weren’t lurking. 

Two days had already passed and Liam was exhausted from staying up both nights to avoid the nightmares and the inevitable teasing from Theo, he obviously noticed how tired the boy was and decided to make fun of that. 

Liam could deal with it. Well, he was trying to deal with it. It was either teasing from being tired or teasing from something he was genuinely terrified of. He doesn’t know how he’d handle the latter.

That’s why he hated himself right at that moment as he could feel himself drifting off, Theo was sound asleep in the front of his truck as Liam fought it in the back. He was terrified of the unknowing of which nightmare it’d be. If he dreamt of the berserkers, Monroe or even Brett and Lori's death then he guessed he’d be okay. Theo knew about the last two and the berserkers weren’t as pathetic. Even Theo would've been petrified of them. 

What actually worried him is one nightmare. One fear. The main cause of his I.E.D and many other issues he’s faced. Of course, as he fell asleep, this is the nightmare the universe decided he would have.

 

“I’m sorry!” He screamed as he curled up on the floor, holding his body as some sort of shield from his attacker. “I’m sorry!”

 

“Please, Brett, it was my fault anyway. Please don’t tell anyone.”

 

Red and blue lights blinded Liam through the window as the siren blared, piercing his skull. Mocking him. His mom was holding the boy and crying, out of shock or relief he didn’t know but she was crying. All he could think of were the words muttered to him before being dragged off by the cops.

“You’ll regret this.”

He’ll come back.

 

“Liam!” 

Jolting awake his eyes met a very concerned Theo’s. Panting heavily he broke the eye contact and sat up properly. “I’m fine.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself down. The images were still flashing in his head as he squeezed his eyes in an attempt to erase them. 

As his breathing slowed down he glanced up to Theo, the older boy’s eyes were still locked on him - frowning in worry. 

“Nightmare?” Theo asked, finally breaking the silence Liam was comfortable with staying in. Here it comes: the questions and the teasing. 

Liam nodded, not trusting that he wouldn’t cry if he tried to speak. 

“You wanna talk about it?” 

This was a reaction Liam definitely wasn’t expecting. This was also a reaction he definitely hadn’t prepared for. The only person he’s talked about the nightmares with was his therapist, but their response was cold and calculated. Treating him as a problem to be solved, not an actual person. Then here Theo was, someone who wasn’t paid to listen to his problems. Someone who wouldn’t judge. Someone who asked. 

Liam guessed he took too long to answer as Theo probed him to respond. “Was it Brett and Lori?” 

Liam shook his head.

“The hunters?”

Again, Liam shook his head.

Theo sighed, “Come on Liam, you’re gonna have to give me a bit more to work wi-“

“It was my dad.” He hated himself in that moment for being so weak as his voice audibly broke at the end. Liam scanned his face for a reaction as the silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground.

“Your dad?" Theo finally asked. "I met him the other day, he seemed nice?”

“That’s my stepdad. Not my dad.” 

More silence. 

"What was your dad like?"

At that Liam shifted in his seat uncomfortably, this is something only a few people knew - he's only ever talked about it openly to the police and always his therapist. Mason and his mother knew, but no matter how many questions they asked about his wellbeing Liam would never give the answers. Until now.

"He wasn't... nice." He finally got out.

"Wasn't nice? Liam, I'm not exactly 'nice' but you don't see you having nightmares about me, do you? Just tell me."

"He was awful." Liam blurted out. "He was my dad and he-" taking a second to compose himself, Liam struggled to get the words out. "Brett and Lori... that's my fault. Their death is on me and don't try to convince me otherwise but- I still hate him. Brett is dead and I'm the one hating him? I don't know if I can ever forgive him for it I mean, how messed up is that?"

Theo just listened silently, absorbing every word Liam was saying. Right now those words made no sense but Theo was determined to understand what made the boy so terrified. Theo knew nightmares like they were his old friend, knowing that Liam was experiencing them... especially of his own father. It felt like someone had punched a hole in his chest. He knew Liam had issues, his anger was entertaining to Theo on most days. Granted, Theo has had to pull him from the edge before he did something stupid but it wasn't that bad. This? This was that bad. 

"He saw it." Liam continued. "I think he suspected for a while but- He asked questions, I had a crappy day and I just couldn't lie anymore. So it just spilled out, I couldn't stop it! Then when I realised what I'd told him, I made him promise not to tell anyone. But he did. He told and then the police came then took him away. He told me I'd regret it, that he'd come back for me. What if he hurts mom again? And I can't protect her just like I couldn't last time? Or anyone else I care about? Mason, Scott, you, Lydia, Malia... anyone I care about he’ll hurt to get back at me. For what I did. He will- next week he gets out and I can’t- I can’t-“

“Hey, hey, hey...” Theo mumbled pulling the younger boy into a hug. Liam fell into it as he trembled, the thought that this was Theo he was embracing surprisingly made him lean in closer. Theo was the air Liam needed to breathe. So he just let it out. Years of nightmares, doctors, therapists and fear he let go. 

Theo just held him, shock didn’t seem like a big enough word to use. For once, he had no idea what to do. No plan. No calculations. So he just held him, hoping it was enough. Took this time to figure out what he could possibly say.

After a while Liam’s sobs seemed to die down, Theo took that as a chance to speak.

“Things have changed since then. You’ve changed. You’re a werewolf Liam, if he comes back then you’re strong enough to send him on his ass. Hell, you’ve knocked me down more times than I can count. You can easily take him.”

“What if I can’t?” Liam muttered, sounding so painfully broken. 

“Then you have an entire pack behind you. Scott? The true alpha? Lydia? The banshee? Malia? I know firsthand not to get on her bad side. One dick of a man couldn’t even hope to overpower all of you. Trust me when I say you guys... you’re hard to crack. I couldn’t do it, even with the Dread Doctors.”

Now it was Liam’s turn to listen, Theo never really talked about his past. It was kind of a forbidden topic. So he listened.

“The Dread Doctors were ruthless, but they were my everything. My life. I had nothing without them and I didn’t want to not have them. I wanted power. Just like your father did. He wanted to feel powerful over you and your mom. That was wrong.” 

“You’ve changed though!” Liam interrupted, growing frustrated. “I’ve seen it. You aren’t the same person you were then! My dad? He’s... he wouldn’t have changed. You are nothing like him so stop comparing yourself.”

After that there was silence. Again, it was tense. Neither knew what to say next, Liam was about to open his mouth and say he’s gonna go back to sleep until Theo spoke.

“If he does come back, then I promise I won’t let him hurt you again.” 

Liam gazed up at him, this is the third time he’s done something like this. Surprised Liam. First was when he threw Liam into the elevator so he could be the bait to make sure Liam was safe, second was when he took Gabe’s pain before he died and now... this. Everything happens in threes. 

Once again, Liam saw Theo flick his eyes to Liam’s lips. Each time it’s happened he’s ignored it, creating new excuses. Now? Liam had no excuses to make. So he leaned in, connecting their lips.

It was slow and passionate, filling Liam with an emotion he so desperately craved. Safety. 

Theo was the air Liam needed to breathe, he knew in that moment that no matter what happened in the future... he’ll be fine. They would be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I saw a prompt on tumblr about Liam’s biological dad being abusive and Theo being comforting to Liam so I decided to play on that a bit. Hope you liked it :)


End file.
